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Psychedelic regulations, Miranda rights, car theft penalties among new Colorado laws taking effect July 1

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

Thirteen newly signed laws will take effect Saturday, bringing with them new regulations around the use of psychedelics, tighter criminal penalties for auto thefts, and a codification of Miranda rights in Colorado state law.The state legislature, which finished its work for the year in early May, passed 484 bills, forwarding them to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk. He vetoed 10 — a personal record — and allowed an 11th (regarding state employee insurance premiums) to pass into law without his signature.Some new laws took effect immediately, but July 1 is a typical start date by which new statutes begin to kick in.Saturday is also the start of the state’s new fiscal year, meaning the legislature’s new $38.5 billion budget will become effective then, too. Other new laws govern criminal sentencing, a new felony for pointing a laser at an aircraft, and exempting small businesses out of retail delivery fees.Past provisions of old bills kick in now, too: The deadline ...

Google Pixel Fold review: Foldable phones are improving

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

When I recently turned on Google’s new Pixel Fold smartphone and unfolded it as if it were a book, it transformed into a miniature tablet, similar to an iPad Mini or an Amazon Fire. Then something unexpected happened.For the next few hours, I found it difficult to put the device down, as if I were sucked into a great novel. The phone’s performance was smooth and fast, and the bigger screen made reading emails, watching videos and reading comic books more delightful than on a normal phone screen.I was surprised because I have been wary of foldable phones. The earliest models released by Samsung, Motorola and Huawei about four years ago had glaring flaws. They were thick and heavy, had durability issues and lacked software to take advantage of their novel hardware. But I immediately knew the Pixel Fold — Google’s first foldable phone — was different.When I folded the device back up, a second 5.8-inch outer screen illuminated, converting it into a regular smartphone that could be...

Rico Munn discrimination complaint linked to long-simmering disagreements about approach to Black teacher retention

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

Black and Hispanic teachers in the Aurora school district have complained for years of mistreatment and discrimination — even as the district was led by a Black superintendent and equity efforts to hire and retain more teachers of color ramped up.Whether that superintendent, Rico Munn, did enough to support Black educators is behind a discrimination complaint Munn filed as he departed the district under a negotiated agreement.According to two independent investigations, Munn alleged that Black board members Stephanie Mason and Tremaine Duncan called his Blackness into question and expected him to act in certain ways because he was Black while holding him to unwritten expectations — actions that he said ultimately created a hostile work environment and led to him being unjustly removed from his position.Related ArticlesEducation | Ex-Aurora superintendent ousted because of his race, called “not Black enough” by school board members, report finds ...

Colorado gardening: What is bolting, why it happens, and what to do 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

As July begins, the cool and wet start of the growing season with moments of warm weather affected vegetables in a variety of ways. For some annuals, this means they have bolted. (Insert a screaming face on every gardener.)OK, so bolting is not a problem in and of itself. It is the plant doing what it needs for survival. Bolting means a plant has gone to seed, shifting its energy away from growing roots and the edible parts we like. Instead, it starts planning for its future: seeds. Technically, bolting refers to a premature flowering,  often before you have fully (or at all) harvested. All annuals will flower at some point. Ideally, not until they have had a full cycle and harvest.Bolting happens when plants are stressed. One of the main stressors for cool-weather crops is when the temperature changes to hot. Here on the Front Range this season, we have had a wide range of temperatures, which creates stress. The longer, cooler, rainy start should have meant the cool-weather vegetab...

Doesn’t Smoking Hemp Stink? — How Does CBD Hemp Flower Taste?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

The idea of smoking hemp flowers isn’t going to appeal to every CBD consumer. Often, when customers first hear about grinding and lighting hemp nugs, they have one of two reactions: “yuck” or “yes!” The primary reason people either feel repulsed or intrigued by smokable CBD hemp has to do with its flavor.People who’ve never smoked CBD hemp have wild ideas about what it will taste like. While there’s no “standard” flavor profile for every hemp strain, there are a few features most hemp joints share.We Know What You’re Wondering: Does Smokable Hemp Taste Like Weed?Yes, the rumors are true: CBD hemp tastes similar to illegal marijuana. In fact, many hemp breeders now offer strains with identical terpene profiles to classic weed strains like Northern Lights, GSC, and Granddaddy Purps. CBD vape carts also use the same flavors in iconic cannabis hybrids.However, just because weed has the similar grassy and gassy aromatics found in weed doesn’t mean it has the same effects. Please remember...

Fourth of July weekend brings unusual risks for outdoor fun-seekers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

Hordes of Bay Area residents will head to mountains, beaches, lakes and rivers this long Fourth of July weekend. A few might not come back.Tragedies in recent years and the drownings and disappearances of more than a dozen people in California rivers since mid-April highlight the risks inherent in many popular outdoor activities — risks that are running higher than normal in this unusual weather year.Emergency officials say high temperatures expected to persist at least through July 4 pose a major hazard for those venturing out for fun in the sun and will also rapidly accelerate snowmelt and boost the already severe danger from fast-flowing rivers swollen by frigid runoff from the past winter’s near-record snowpack.“What is usually one of the traditionally busiest times of the year for search-and-rescue is going to be significantly more dangerous this year,” said Brian Ferguson, spokesman for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Antic...

Editorial: Kill the Delta tunnel boondoggle before it’s too late

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision Monday to concede defeat in fast-tracking the Delta tunnel raised hopes that the $16 billion boondoggle was, at long last, dead.Californians should be so lucky.This a project that has never penciled out, wouldn’t add a drop of new water to California’s supply and would be an environmental disaster for the largest estuary west of the Mississippi. Yet Newsom, like former governors Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger before him, keeps seeking ways to keep it alive. It’s the zombie water project that state officials won’t let die. Be very afraid.Newsom’s latest effort was part of an 11-bill legislative package that the governor waited until May 19 to unveil, knowing that it would move through the Legislature without the sort of scrutiny major projects such as the Delta tunnel deserve. Newsom sought to limit the timelines for environmental litigation and simplify the permitting process for the Delta tunnel, along with oth...

Opinion: Welcome end to youth prisons creates challenges for counties

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

California passes a huge public policy milestone this week: the end of abusive and expensive state-run youth prisons. What comes after holds huge potential but will require sustained effort to achieve.Under Senate Bill 823 of 2020, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations’ Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) is dissolved. Youth convicted of serious crimes, some up to age 25 and serving long sentences, will be sent to local county facilities. The overwhelming majority of these facilities were designed for children and teens in short-term stays.This change in policy reflects a long-term goal for advocates: to get youth out of dangerous and damaging state facilities where abuse was flagrant, rehabilitative services were few, education was failing, and costs were exorbitant (more than $400,000 per youth per year). Now many local juvenile probation departments are scrambling to assemble services, housing that is appropriate, and adequate staffing.The phrase that is app...

Dutch teenager Dilano van ’t Hoff dies after a crash at race in Belgium

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Dutch teenage driver Dilano van ’t Hoff died after a crash at the Formula Regional European Championship in Belgium, organizers said Saturday.The 18-year-old MP Motorsport driver was competing in a morning race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. It was held prior to the 24 Hours of Spa race later Saturday.“Everyone associated with the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is devastated by the news that Formula Regional EU by Alpine driver Dilano van ’t Hoff lost his life in an accident during this morning’s race,” the race organizers said in a statement. “We express our deepest condolences to his family, friends and MP Motorsport.”The FREC expressed its “ sincere condolences to the family, team and friends.”A minute’s silence was held before the start of the main 24 Hours of Spa race.Motorsport’s governing body FIA also expressed its sorrow.The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is where French driver Anthoine Hubert was killed following a multi...

England takes 3 wickets but Australia leads by 313 on fourth morning at Lord’s

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

LONDON (AP) — England repaid Australia with short-ball bowling and snared three wickets to rein in the visitors on the fourth morning of the second Ashes test at Lord’s on Saturday.Overnight batters Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith, followed by Travis Head, were dismissed in a half-hour period after drinks. By lunch, Australia was 222-5 in its second innings and leading by a solid 313 runs.But England hopes were revived. The bowlers resorted to the short ball to try and break up Khawaja and Smith, who were cruising and unconcerned. They took Australia from 130-2 overnight to 187.England set the trap with six fielders behind square.The batters resisted the temptation to pull and hook until the first over after drinks, also Stuart Broad’s first over of the day.Khawaja top-edged Broad to substitute fielder Matthew Potts at fine leg. Khawaja’s 188-ball stay ended with him on 77.Head came in and was dropped, first ball, by James Anderson at gully. Anderson dropped a catch ...